Re: [boost] [filesystem] Function name changes

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-07-04 12:21:58

on Fri Jul 04 2008, Vladimir Prus <vladimir-AT-codesourcery.com> wrote:

> Beman Dawes wrote:
>
>> David Abrahams wrote:
>>> Beman Dawes wrote:
>>>> David Abrahams wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> FWIW, though I think it's probably a good idea to use base_name as you
>>>>> are suggesting, I was much less attached to the idea of using it to mean
>>>>> what is currently called leaf() than I was opposed to the idea of using
>>>>> it to mean something else, if you catch my drift :-)
>>>> Ah! Understood.
>>>>
>>>>> So one other option that avoids the above issues (not that I'm pushing
>>>>> this route) is to pick another name for what you currently call leaf().
>>>> Let's say branch_path() is changed to parent_path(). That suggests a
>>>> full set of names based on the parent/child decomposition of a path:
>>>>
>>>> * Change branch()    to parent_path()
>>>> * Change leaf()      to child()
>>>> * Change basename()  to child_prefix()
>>>> * Change extension() to child_extension()
>>>>
>>>> At first glance, those names seem reasonable clear and self-consistent.
>>>>
>>>> What's your take on that set?
>>> 
>>> Well, "parent" describes a relationship between the path being operated
>>> on and the result.  "Child," on the other hand, does not.  So that
>>> doesn't work for me.  I would prefer "parent" and "filename."  I would
>>> prefer "drop_extension" and "extension," although I rather liked
>>> Volodya's "stem" suggestion.
>> 
>> I like "stem" too.
>> 
>> Trying to put that all together:
>> 
>> * Change branch()   to  parent_path()
>> * Change leaf()     to  file_name()
>
> Why is "file" there? Path of "a/b/c" can refer to either file,
> or directory. Does "file" bring undesired connotation that the
> path refers to file?

Agreed.

>> * Change basename() to  stem()
>> * extension()  remains  extension()
>
> 'stem' is linguistic term, whereas 'extension' is not. To be
> consistent, it's better to use 'suffix', not 'extension'. 

Yeah, but 'extension' is a file naming term.  Where we can, we should
use accepted terminology from the domain.

> Furthermore, I do think we need to pay attention to Qt's suffix
> vs. completeSuffix distinction -- it seems useful one.

What is that?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com